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San Francisco GiantsI just saw on the ESPN bottom line scroll that the Reds agreed to trade Ryan Freel and 2 prospects to Baltimore for C Ramon Hernandez. Anyone else see this? Thoughts?
Reds Trade Freel and prospects to Baltimore
I just saw on the ESPN bottom line scroll that the Reds agreed to trade Ryan Freel and 2 prospects to Baltimore for C Ramon Hernandez. Anyone else see this? Thoughts?
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Just saw on MLB.com that it is done pending commissioner approval. Apparently Brandon Waring and Justin Turner are the prospects.
Hernandez is a 32yo Catcher whose numbers the past 2 years are significantly below his career averages. Hernandez is scheduled to make nearly 8 million this year, and as MLB says the Reds would get 1 million in the deal. Hernandez only threw out 19% of baserunners last year. Where is the upside on this deal? The only thing I can figure is that he will add some RH pop in the GABP.
Would it have not been easier to just have kept David Ross?
Marshall: MILSWANCAs?
Ted: Wait, I can get this. Mothers I'd like to sleep with and never call again.
Barney: Circle gets the square!
The 2074 MSL NL Gold Glove Recipient at Third Base.
Wow, I think we gave up a lot here. Granted we needed a catcher, but Waring is a bigtime power bat but may not have enough upside. And Turner is a leader that has been a solid 2B for a long time. Freel had an expensive contract, and health issues, but he was a spark plug that I loved seeing play in a Red's uniform. I wish them all the best.
Now, did the major league team get better with this move? I am not too sure. We did fill a hole. But as bipster pointed out, his numbers have been on a significant decline. I don't think he will bring us anything better than what we had last year. Hopefully Hanigan will be the real deal. Expect this tandem to hit 8th in the order and perhaps 9th if Owings is pitching every fifth day. We traded a lot for a guy that might hit .240 for us. And cannot throw out basestealers.
Count me in on the disliking of this trade.
Originally Posted by Kingdom_of_Zito
Agreed. Or even Valentin would have been a better choice because this cost us way too much.
Do fans still think the Reds are in rebuilding mode? This deal tells me they are putting a lot of faith into '09. Rumors of getting guys like Burrell and Dye and now this? I would have liked to see the Reds get a catcher for the future and not for one year. Is there a prospect catcher that could make it in a couple of years? And I am a big Ryan Freel fan. Redsrbetter put it best when he said he was a sparkplug. He can play almost anywhere on the diamond and he will do it balls out! I think Baltimore got the best of the deal but maybe Hernandez can strive in the NL.
No big time catching prospect coming up anytime soon. Devin Merasco has a lot of upside but is still very young (18 or 19) and years away.
.: My Last.fm
As for the trade, color me impressed. Word is that the O's will send the cash to cover the difference between Hernandez and Freel. Hernandez is a definite upgrade over Valentin/Bako, and coupled with Hannigan should make a league average catching tandem at least. However, this is a move that means little if other moves aren't to follow. If we do make the other neccessary moves to become ready for contention, such as aqcuiring an OF power bat, this move begins to look even better.
Freel has seen his glory days come and go (largely due to the frequent injuries,) and frankly both of the two main targets in this deal might improve slightly with a change of scenery. Neither of the prospects lost should be cried over though.
.: My Last.fm
I like the trade. Freel was really just taking up space at this point, and Hernandez may get a boost with a change of scenery.
GET NOTICED.
League Team Name DIV WC WS Since TBSL CINCINNATI REDS 0 0 0 2010 SBSL KANSAS CITY MONARCHS 2 1 0 2008 TPSL LOS ANGELES ANGELS 3 0 1 2007 S3SL SEATTLE MARINERS 1 0 0 2026
We will be paying 3 million of Hernandez's 8 million dollar salary. Freel's 4 million plus the O's giving us 1 million in the deal subtracts 5 million from Hernandez's 8. Which leaves us paying 3 million for him this year.
Perhaps an intriguing thing could be that he will be a FA next year, so maybe he adjusts his approach knowing he has to put up good numbers in order to make better money for future deals. Also, GABP always helps.
Mission, I agree 100%. Then again, I always love seeing things happen on the trade/signing front. We still need that RH bat and word is out that Jocketty is definitely talking to GMs about more moves. Mark Sheldon says that requiring a LHP for the pen is a definate possibility before the end of the meetings.However, this is a move that means little if other moves aren't to follow.
Not too sure if he is lost in all the roster moves; but couldn't Norris Hopper be a decent replacement for Freel? We do have to figure out who will platoon with Dickerson in CF. Especially considering Dickerson is not exactly great against LHP. Jerry Hairston Jr?
I'd like to see JHJ back, but I'm afraid he is going to try and cash in and ask for way more money then he is worth.
GET NOTICED.
League Team Name DIV WC WS Since TBSL CINCINNATI REDS 0 0 0 2010 SBSL KANSAS CITY MONARCHS 2 1 0 2008 TPSL LOS ANGELES ANGELS 3 0 1 2007 S3SL SEATTLE MARINERS 1 0 0 2026
I hope not man. He likely wont get it. I could see the Cards taking a flyer on him though. But it would be nice to get him in for a utility role for sure.
For me, there are both positives and negatives in this deal. We really didn't get rid of depth. Many feel like the spects won't amount to anything at all. I agree with that. Freel had a huge contract and we have a younger/cheaper option for CF now in Dickerson. We definitely filled a hole that needed to be filled this offseason as well. But the guy we filled it with has put up below-average offensive and defensive numbers the past few years.
Again, hopefully GABP and this being a FA year for him will help bring him back up to speed. I'm on the fence on this, maybe coming around to it a bit more because I don't know what other catcher Jocketty could've gotten this offseason. Probably nothing much better than Hernandez and definitely nothing better than him without trading something of greater value than Freel.
Now I am hearing that the O's may be paying the entire 4 million extra dollars that was the difference between Freel and Hernandez's contracts. If that is the case, color me happy as well.
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